The changing role of cooperatives in the Swedish housing regime

The article titled "The changing role of cooperatives in the Swedish housing regime - a path dependence analysis," authored by Bo Bengtsson, is published in "Housing Studies," a reputable journal focusing on various aspects of housing and urban studies. This piece delves into the historical development of cooperative housing in Sweden, emphasizing its significance in the broader context of sustainable housing practices.

Cooperative housing in Sweden represents a unique aspect of the country's housing landscape, constituting approximately 25% of the total housing stock. This article examines the evolution of this sector through a path dependence perspective, which allows for an understanding of how historical decisions and events shape current housing frameworks. The author aims to elucidate the changing role of cooperative housing within Sweden's universal housing regime.

The analysis identifies three critical junctures that significantly influenced the trajectory of cooperative housing in Sweden:

At these junctures, national politicians, particularly from the Social Democratic Party, and leaders of cooperative organizations were the main actors driving change, while cooperative members had a relatively limited influence compared to similar reforms in neighboring Norway.

The mechanisms of efficiency, legitimacy, and power played vital roles in all three reforms contributing to path dependence. These mechanisms ensured that the changes made during these critical junctures created a stable trajectory for cooperative housing's development.

The long-term impacts of these reforms were more profound than initially anticipated:

Over time, the cooperative sector expanded steadily, transitioning from a social movement focused on providing decent housing to its members to an integral component of the national housing regime, and more recently, to a marketized tenure form.

The author highlights that the Swedish experience reveals the potential fragility of a social housing system based on cooperatives. Tensions between ownership and socio-political goals can complicate the sustainability of such systems. Once the marketization process began, reversing it proved challenging.

The path dependence framework utilized in this analysis could be effectively applied to other countries studying cooperative housing development. By examining critical junctures, key actors, and mechanisms of change, this approach offers valuable insights that could benefit diverse national contexts in their pursuit of sustainable housing solutions.